James G. Blaine of Maine, who had served several years as Speaker of the House of Representatives, was the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination in 1876. A gifted orator, Blaine nearly captured the nomination, landing only twenty-seven votes short. Hayes was in fifth place for the first four ballots behind Blaine as well as Oliver P. Morton of Indiana, Benjamin H. Bristow of Kentucky, and Roscoe Conkling of New York. Hayes, however, won the nomination on the seventh ballot.